Vending machine interlock



2 Sheets-Sheet l G. M. GUARD VENDING MACHINE INTERLOCK Oct. 11, 1966 Filed May 6, 1965 INVENTOR Giiberr M. Guard ATTORNEY Oct 11 1966 G. M. GUARD 3378,0339

VENDING MACHINE INTERLOCK Filed May 6, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 69 FIG-5.

I wwee I: i fi a U L To, 670

United States Patent C) 3,278,079 VENDING MACHENE INTERLQCK Gilbert M. Guard, Qhicopee Falls, Mass, assignor to Westinghouse Electric Corporation, Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Filed May 6, 1965, Ser. No. 453,755 2 Claims. (Cl. 221125) This invention relates to a control for a vending machine adapted to vend a selected one of a number of different flavors or selections.

The object of the invention is to provide a control having interlock features to prevent the dispensing of more than one flavor or selection.

In accordance with the present invention, there are provided a plurality of selector switches for the different flavors of beverages for example, and there is provided a locking member to lock the actuated selector switch or switches in actuated position and to lock the unactuated switches in unactuated position. The locking member is actuated solely by a solenoid which is adapted to be energized by any selector switch upon energization thereof. One or more lock-in switches are provided to render the selector switches ineffective, other than to cause operation of the lock-in solenoid and the locking member, until the locking member is in locking position, so that momentary actuation of a selector switch cannot start or affect operation of the vending machine. It is only after the switches are locked in position to assure that there can be no further actuation of any selector switch, that operation of the machine can begin. The selector switches are connected in a series relation such that the actuated switch first in series opens the circuit to the selector switches later in series. If two selector switches are actuated simultaneously, both are locked in such position but the one later in the series circuit is open circuited and, therefore, ineffective.

FIGURE 1 is a vertical cross section of the switch assembly, showing one of the selector switches in actuated position and the locking member in locking position, and also showing the unactuated positions of the switch Operating lever and the locking member (see attached sketch) in dotted lines;

FIG. 2 is a vertical cross section showing the lock-in solenoid and the locking member in the locking position, and also showing their unactuated position in dotted lines;

FIG. 3 is a diagrammatic partial bottom plan view of the switch assembly, as seen on the line IIIIII of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a Wiring diagram of the electrical circuitry;

FIG. 5 is a vertical section showing the common operating mechanism and one of the coupling devices; and

FIG. 6 is an elevational view showing one of the dispensing devices.

Referring to FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, the control includes selector switches 11, 12 and 13 mounted on suitable brackets 14 attached to a supporting frame structure 15. Each switch has a spring-returned push button such as the push button 16 for actuating the switch. The switches 11, 12 and 13 are provided with switch operating levers 17, 18 and 19, respectively, which levers may be mounted on a pintle 20 supported by the brackets 14, and biased, as by a tension spring such as the spring 21, to the off or unactuated position shown by the dotted lines of FIG. 1.

Each selector switch is provided with a manually actuated push buttton such as the push button 22, which may be hingedly mounted at its upper end on the frame structure 15 and which is provided with a spring arm 23 adapted to engage and move the associated switch operating lever such as the lever 17. The arm 23 is flexible and will yield in the event that the associated lever is moved against the locking member when it is in the locking position, thereby preventing damage to any parts.

3,278,079 Patented Oct. 11, 1966 A locking member in the form of an elongated angle member 24 is pivotally mounted on a shaft 25 suported at its ends on brackets 26 of the supporting frame structure 15. The locking member 24 has a flange 27 which, when the locking member is raised to the locking position, shown by solid lines of FIGS. 1 and 2 locks each switch operating lever in the position that it occupies at the moment that the locking member is raised to locking position whether the operating member 17 be in the dotted or solid line position. FIG. 3 shows, for example, the levers 17 and 15 and the switches 11 and 13 locked in the switch actuated position, as also shown in full lines in FIGS. 1 and 2, and the lever 18 and the switch 12 in the unactuated position, as shown in dotted lines in FIGS. 1 and 2. The locking member 24 is normally in its lower, non-locking position shown dotted in FIG. 1 in which it permits free movement of the switch operating levers. It is raised to its locking position by a solenoid 28, having an armature connected thereto by link 28a shown by solid lines in FIG. 2, when energized and dotted lines when deenergized.

The control of the present invention may be used, for example, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, with a bottle vending machine, having three side-by-side compartments such as the compartment 29, controlled by the: selector switches 11, 12 and 13 respectively, for bottles of beverages of three different flavors. This machine includes a common operating mechanism motivated by an electric motor 30, and a dispensing mechanism for each compartment having a solenoid 31 for coupling the same to the common operating mechanism. Further details of the vending machine itself, which are necessary to an understanding of the present invention, will be considered later.

The control (see FIG. 4) includes one or more lockin switches to render the selector switches ineffective to start or affect operation of the machine until the locking member is in locking position to prevent any further actuation or manipulation of the switches. The illustrated control comprises two such lock-in switches, a switch 32 to open the circuit of the motor 34) for the common operating mechanism, and a switch 33 to open a common circuit portion of the several selection circuits that determine the particular flavor or selection to be dispensed. These switches are closed by the locking member 24 when it is raised sufliciently to lock the switch operating levers against movement.

Referring again to FIG. 4, each of the selector switches 11, 12 and 13 is a two-pole switch, each comprising switch arms such as shown at 34 and 35 that engage upper contacts 36 and 37 respectively in the normal or unactuated position of the switch, and which engage lower contacts 38 and 39 respectively when the switch is actuated by means of the push button 22.

There is also associated with each bottle compartment, an empty switch 40 comprising switch arms 41 and 42 which are normally in the lower positions shown in FIG. 4 when the compartment is not empty, the arm 41 engaging a contact connected to the arm 34 of the associated selector switch, and the arm 42 engaging a contact connected to the arm 35 of the associated selector switch. When the compartment is empty, the switch arms are in their upper positions, the arm 41 engaging a contact connected to an empty signal light 43 and the arm 42 engaging a contact 44 connected to the switch arm 42 of the next serially connected empty switch, thereby by-passing and rendering ineffective the associated selector switch 11.

The control includes a relay 45 which may be referred to as a vend relay or delivery relay. The relay c-omprises a coil 45 and switches 4-7, 48 and 49. The contr-ol further includes a two-pole carrier switch 50 operated by a cam 51 that is rotated once in each dispensing operation by the motor 30 through a speed reduction unit built into the motor. The carrier switch 50 comprises switch arms 52 and 53. Among other functions, the vend relay 4'5 initiates and maintains operation of the motor during the first portion of a dispensing operation, and the carrier switch 50 energizes the motor through the remaining portion of a dispensing operation and then terminates such operation.

A conventional coin reject coil 54 is normally energized in the rest or stand-by condition of the control and serves to render the coil receiving mechanism operative to receive coins. The circuit for this coil extends from line conductor L1 through an arm 55 and a contact 56 of a coin operated switch, carrier switch arm 52, the empty switch arm 41 and the lower contact thereof in the normal or non-empty position, the switch arm 34 and the upper contact 36 of the selector switch associated therewith, a conductor 57, vend relay switch 49 and coin reject coil 54 to line conduct-or L2. The remaining portion of the control will be described and explained in the following description of the operation of the control.

Upon depositing the required coin or coins in the coin mechanism, the coin switch arm 55 momentarily engages a contact 58 to complete a circuit for the vend relay coil 46, which thereupon raises its three switches, the switch 47 thereof completing a holding circuit for the coil 46 which extends through carrier switch arm 53, the upper contact 59 and the switch 47 to the upper terminal of the coil 46. The switch 47 also extends a circuit from line conductor L1 through the several empty switch arms 42, 42a, 42b, selector switch arms 35, 35a and 35b in series as shown in FIG. 4. The opening of the switch 49 deenergizes the coin reject coil 54, thereby preventing any further acceptance of coins. The closing of the vend relay switch 48 prepares the circuit for the solenoid 28 and the common drive motor 30 for action by any one of the selector switches 11, 12 or 13.

It, now, any one of the selector switches, for example, switch 11, is actuated, a circuit from line conductor L1 is completed by the arm 34 of the actuated selector switch through its contact 38, a conductor 59, vend relay switch 48 to a conductor 60, which is connected to one terminal of the solenoid 28 and one terminal of the motor 30. The circuit for the motor 30 is still open at the lock-in switch 32, but when the circuit is completed through the solenoid 28 to the line conductor L2, the locking member 24 mechanically closes the lock-in switch 32, thereby completing the circuit through the motor 30 to line conductor L2.

The actuation of the selector switch, again switch 11 for example, also actuates its switch arm 35 to extend a circuit to its selection circuit which, in the illustrated embodiment, is the associated solenoid 31. This circuit extends from line conductor 1.1 through carrier switch arm 53, its upper contact 59, vend relay switch 47, the arm 42 and the lower contact of the empty switch, the arm 35 and the contact 39 of the selector switch, the solenoid 31 and a conductor 61 connected to the lower terminals of the several solenoids 31, 31a, 31b. Initially, this circuit is maintained open by the lock-in switch 33 between the conductor 61 and the line conductor L2.

If the actuation of the selector switch 11 is effected by a rapid light tapping of the switch of insufficient duration to energize the solenoid 28 long enough to bring the locking member 24 to locking position, the lock-in switches 32 and 33 are not closed and no operation of the vending machine results and the switch operating levers are not locked in position. However, i-f the selector switch 1 1 is actuated in a normal manner, sufficiently to raise the locking member to locking position, and this is still a very short period of time, the locking member locks the several switch operating levers in their resently assumed positions to assure that there will be no further change in position of any selector switch, and then it closes the lock-in switches 32 and 33 to complete circuits to the common operating motor 30 and the selected solenoid 31 to begin a vending operation.

After a predetermined portion of the vending operation is completed, the cam 51 permits the switch arms of the carrier switch 50 to drop. The switch arm 53 opens the holding circuit to the vend relay coil 46 and to the selection solenoid 31, which are thereupon deenergized. At the same time the switch arm 56 extends a circuit from line conductor L1 to the conductor 60, to maintain energization of the lock-in solenoid 28 and of the mot-or 30 for the remainder of the operation, at the end of which the cam 51 again raises the carrier switch arms 52 and 53. The latter opens the circuit to the motor 30 and the solenoid 28 to terminate the operation.

The solenoid 28 allows the locking member 24 to drop, causing the lock-in switches 32 and 33 to reopen and releasing the operating levers of the selector switches so that they may be returned by their springs to the unactuated positions. The raising of the carrier switch arm 52 recloses the circuit to the coin reject coil 54 to set the coin mechanism for acceptance of coins for another operation.

The control is now in rest or stand-by condition, ready for another dispensing operation as has been described.

In the event that one of the compartments becomes empty, for example, the first compartment associated with the selector switch 11, the empty switch arms 41 and 42 are actuated, in a manner well-known in the art, to their upper positions, thereby opening the circuits to the two switch arms 34 and 35 of the associated selector switch. The arm 41 closes the circuit to the empty signal light 43 to indicate that this particular compartment is empty. The switch arm 42 opens the circuit to the switch arm 35 to prevent energization of the associated solenoid 31, and it engages instead its upper contact 44 to extend the selector switch circuit to the empty switch arm 42a of the next compartment. Thus, if one of the empty switches later in series 42a or 42b is in the lower position, its selector switch is adapted, upon actuation, to energize the associated solenoid 31a or 31b.

In the event that a customer actuates two switches simultaneously, for example, the switches 11 and 13, both of these switches will be locked in the actuated position, as shown in FIG. 3. However, not more than one solenoid 31 or 31a will be energized so that no more than one article will be dispensed. Assuming that the first compartment is not empty, the movement of the switch arm 35 of the selector switch 11 opens the circuit to the selector switches later in series, i.e. the switches 12 and 13. Thus, the solenoids 31a and 31b for the second and third compartments are not energized. On the other hand, if the first compartment is empty, then its empty switch arm 42 opens the circuit to the switch arm 35 of the switch 11 and instead engages the contact 44 to extend the circuit to the empty switch arm 42a of the second compartment and through the non-operated arm 35a and to the arm 35b of the selector switch 13. Thus, the customer is assured of obtaining one and only one article. Should both the first and third compartments be empty, then nothing will happen upon simultaneously actuating switches 11 and 13 as both switches will be rendered ineffective by their associated empty switches 42 and 42b.

Referring now to the bottle vending machine shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, this is of the type covered in Patent 3,118,567 of M. W. Newberry. The dispensing mechanism for each compartment comprises two rods 61, 61a extending lengthwise of the bottles 62 and mounted on the upper ends of levers 63, 6311 which are pivoted intermediate their ends as indicated at 64, 64a. The lower ends of the levers are connected by links 65, 65a to an operating plate 66, which is vertically slidable through slots in the horizontal flanges 67, 67a of a channel member 68. As will be apparent from FIG. 6, as the plate 66 is moved upwardly, the lower ends of the levers 63, 63a are drawn toward each other by the links 65, 65:: thereby rotating the levers to move the rods 61, 61;: away from each other to permit the bottle 62 to drop therebetween.

The common operating mechanism for raising and lowering the operating plate 66 of the selected compartment is shown in FIG. 5 and comprises a horizontally extending channel member 69 mounted on plates 70 which are vertically slidable through other slots in the mentioned fianges 67, 67a. There is pivoted on the channel member 69 for the dispensing mechanism of each compartment, a pivoted lever or lifter 71, which is adapted to be actuated by the associated solenoid 31 also mounted on the channel member 69, into connective engagement with the associated plate 66.

The plates 70 are raised and lowered once in each dispensing operation by a mechanism that includes a link 71 pivoted at its lower end to a crank pin 73 mounted on the cam plate 51 and at its upper end to a lever 74 pivoted at 75 and fixed to lever 76. The lever 76 has a pin 76a extending through horizontal slots 77 formed in the lower ends of the plates 70.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a machine for vending any one of a plurality of selections, the combination of a plurality of electrically energized mechanisms for selectively dispensing any one of a plurality of selections,

a plurality of manually actuated selector switches movable from a non-operated position to an operated position for controlling said mechanisms respectively,

a solenoid,

a locking member actuated by said solenoid, when energized from a non-locking position to a locking position in which it locks each selector switch in either the non-operated or operated position,

means responsive to movement of any one of said selector switches to the operated position for energizing said solenoid,

switch means controlled by said locking member and operable to open the circuit to said electrically energized mechanisms when the locking member is not in its locking position, and

a circuit extending in series through said selector switches, each selector switch being adapted when moved to the operated position to open the circuit to the selector switches later in series and to connect said circuit to its associated mechanism.

2. A vending machine as set forth in claim 1 wherein said switch means controlled by the locking member is also operable to open said circuit extending in series through the selector switches until said locking member is in its locking position.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,377,413 6/1945 Fry 19410 2,392,511 1/1946 Thompson et al. 19410 X 2,650,149 8/1953 Munz et al 194-10 X 2,693,299 11/1954 Gross 221- X 2,934,613 4/1960 Stoner et al. 200--5 2,973,075 2/1961 Du Grenier et al. 221l25 X SAMUEL F. COLEMAN, Primary Examiner.

Dedication 3,278,079.G2'Zbert 11!. Guard, Chicopee Falls, Mass. VENDING MACHINE INTERLOCK. Patent dated Oct. 11, 1966. Dedication filed Oct. 7, 1974, by the assignee, The Vendo Company. Hereby dedicates to the Public the entire remainin g term of said patent. [Ofiicial Gazette May 6', 1975.] 

1. IN A MACHINE FOR VENDING ANY ONE OF A PLURALITY OF SELECTIONS, THE COMBINATION OF A PLURALITY OF ELECTRICALLY ENERGIZED MECHANISMS FOR SELECTIVELY DISPENSING ANY ONE OF A PLURALITY OF SELECTIONS, A PLURALITY OF MANUALLY ACTUATED SELECTOR SWITCHES MOVABLE FROM A NON-OPERATED POSITION TO AN OPEREATED POSITION FOR CONTROLLING SAID MECHANISM RESPECTIVELY, A SOLENOID, A LOCKING MEMBER ACTUATED BY SAID SOLENOID, WHEN ENERGIZED FROM A NON-LOCKING POSITION TO A LOCKING POSITION IN WHICH IT LOCKS EACH SELECTOR SWITCH IN EITHER THE NON-OPERATED OR OPERATED POSITION, MEANS RESPONSIVE TO MOVEMENT OF ANY ONE OF SAID SELECTOR SWITCHES TO THE OPERATED POSITION FOR ENERGIZING SAID SOLENOID, SWITCH MEANS CONTROLLED BY SAID LOCKING MEMBER AND OPERABLE TO OPEN THE CIRCUIT TO SAID ELECTRICALLY ENERGIZED MECHANISMS WHEN THE LOCKING MEMBER IS NOT IN ITS LOCKING POSITION, AND A CIRCUIT EXTENDING IN SERIES THROUGH SAID SELECTOR SWITCHES, EACH SELECTOR SWITCH BEING ADAPTED WHEN MOVED TO THE OPERATED POSITION TO OPEN THE CIRCUIT TO THE SELECTOR SWITCHES LATER IN SERIES AND TO CONNECT SAID CIRCUIT TO ITS ASSOCIATED MECHANISM. 